Welcome To Monowi, Nebraska, Population 1 (It’s Elsie)

You've heard the expression 'Don't blink, you'll miss it'. It's usually those of us who grew up in a small town who say it and it is, of course, an exaggeration. Well, welcome to Monowi, population one.

So it's not much of an exaggeration. But hold on buckaroo, how are we expected to visit Monowi if you don't tell us where it is?

OK, Monowi is just a stone's throw south of South Dakota in northeast Nebraska. Boyd County to be exact, a county which borders our great Sunshine State.

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So how did the population of this incorporated village get to be just one? There were two, but when Elsie's husband Rudy passed away in 2004, well, that left Elsie. Now, as the only resident, Elsie is of course the Mayor.  This means she granted herself a liquor license and thus we have the Monowi Tavern (not to mention the 5,000 volume Rudy's Library).

Oh, and as the only resident and Mayor, Elsie pays city taxes to herself. In fact, if you'd like to meet Elsie, check out the video.

Now don't go thinking Monowi is a huge secret. Nope. The, ahem, the city has been featured nationally on CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, and Only In America With Larry The Cable Guy on The History Channel.

So when you're motoring along or near the southern border of South Dakota, keep an eye out for Boyd County Nebraska (just so's ya know, Butte is the county seat). And drop in on the grandest, finest tiny town in America.

And visit Rudy's Library. Then have a visit with Elsie at the Tavern.

Wikipedia Contributed To This Article